James k gifford



(No Model.)

J. N. GII'FORD,-Jr.

TOY.

N'0.. 269,194. Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. GIFFORD, JR, ()F FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,194, dated December 19,1882.

Application filed November 15, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES N. GIFFORD, Ji'., of Fairhaven, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, form- 'ing a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view, representing the toy in position for use; Fig. 2, a like view representing it in use; and Fig. 3, a sectional view, showing the method of attaching the image to the handle.

Like letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of toys in which there is a target and tethered ball for shooting the same; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more desirable article of this character is produced than is now in or- I dinary use.

The nature and operation of-the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation, its extreme simplicity rendering an elaborate description unnecessary:

In the drawings, A is the handle or bodyof the toy, and B an image representing a man, both of these parts being constructed of wood or any other suitable material. A spring-wire, C, has its lower end attached rigidly to the upper end of the handle A, and is so bent or formed that its upper end, when the wire is at rest, is immediately over the head of the image B. Attached to the upper end of this wire, atm, by the elastic cord D, there is a small ball, E, preferably composed of wood, hard rubber, or some similar material. The upper end of the handle is chambered or bored out, as seen at d in Fig. 3, and within this chamber or hole there is an elastic cord, (0, attached firmly to the feet of the image B and to the handle at the bottom of the hole (I, the cord acting contractively to keep the image in an upright position or on its feet. The arms of the image (No model.)

are loosely jointed to their respective shoulders at m, and are rigid throughout, or have no joints at the elbows or wrists. When the image is in an upright position the left arm hangs loosely at its side; but the right arm is hooked over a pin or catch, 12, which projects from the body of the image near its hips, and is kept in contact therewith by the contractile action of the elastic cord 2, one end of which is attached to the arm and the other to the upper portion or neck of the image, as seen in Fig. 1.

In the use of my improvement the handle A is taken in the left hand and the ball E in the right. The ball is then withdrawn a short distance, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig.

'2, and suddenly released, the spring 0 and contractile action of the cord D causing it to strike the image and knock it off its feet, or making it fall into a horizontal or inclined position. The sudden jarringot' theimage caused by the impact of the ball releases its right arm from the pin or catch 12 upon which the cordz contracts, and instantly raises the arm, as shown in Fig. 2, the hand being brought up to the nose, in token of derision, in a very mirthprovoking manner. It will be evident that every time a shot is made the arm will have to be set or forced down over the catch o. It

will also be obvious that both arms and one of thelegsmaybe provided with cordsandcatches, so arranged that when a shot is made they will assume some'grotesque position, it desired,in which case the leg to be moved must be provided with one or more joints, and with an elastic cord arranged after the same general .manner of the right arm, as shown in Fig. 1. Instead of the image representing a man, images of animals, birds, &;c., may be employed, if desired.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. The improved toy described,-the same consisting of the handle A, image B, spring 0, ball E, and cords D a, constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

2. In a toy substantially such as described, I

ICO

struck by a ball it will be caused to assume ball the limb will be released from its catch, its normal position again by the action of said and after being so released assume a new po- 10 cord, substantially as set forth. sition by the action of the cord, substantially 3. In a toy substantially such as described, as specified. 5 an image having one of its limbsjointed and JAMES N. GIFFORD, JR.

provided with an elastic cord and catch or \Vitnesses: their equivalents, so constructed and arranged W. G. PARKER, that when the image is shot or struck by 2 JAMES SMITH. 

